How to spend your commute becoming a better fundraiser
Howard Lake | 29 August 2017 | Blogs
Modern society and the rising cost of living means that many of us are now faced with a long commute. Whilst there are many fundraising books out there, it can sometimes be difficult to get stuck in. Especially if your commute involves a few different modes of transport.
So here are some ideas and resources that can help you to become a better fundraiser on your daily commute.
Read
Blogs and articles are shorter and easier to digest than books, making them a good choice for commuting. There are tonnes of brilliant blogs and websites discussing fundraising topics and insights. Some of my favourites are: Bright Spot Fundraising, Passionate Giving Blog and (of course) UK Fundraising! You can save blogs and articles to your favourites folder to read later during your commute.
Listen
Podcasts are a brilliant and underrated form of fundraising content. Listening to a podcast is especially great if you have a walking commute or are squashed in a tube carriage! I recommend Stephen George’s “Good Leaders“, a series of interviews with Charity Leaders. There are also many business focused podcasts which contain useful advice. Check out Harvard Business Review’s
IdeaCast, the FT’s Listen to Lucy podcast (recommended by my brilliant mentor Hayley) and From Scratch.
Advertisement
Watch
I’m a huge fan of the TED app and you can read my article on Five TED talks every fundraiser should watch to get started.
YouTube also has some great resources. SOFII have published many of the IWITOT (I wish I thought of that!) talks on their channel, where fundraisers present ideas they feel have changed fundraising. The Institute of Fundraising also has a channel which hosts Ask the Expert interviews.
Talk
Whilst content is important, connecting with others is also key to improving your fundraising. I recommend using Twitter, LinkedIn and the Fundraising Chat group on Facebook to connect with other Fundraisers. Social Media allows you to interact with people in the sector who you otherwise may never have met! It can also provide a brilliant forum for seeking advice or sharing ideas.
Becoming part of these fundraising communities can also link you to more content which can help you to become a better Fundraiser.
I hope these ideas will stop you scrolling through Instagram/Facebook/the sidebar of shame and put you on the right track (pun intended!) for fundraising success!
Do you have any favourite resources? Share them in the comments section below.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.